Air distributing apparatus



Jan. 28, 1941.

L MACK 1:1- A1. .un DISTRIBTING APPARATUS Filed May 5,' 1959 2 sheets-sheet 1 my IU H Y n 0. 6 wmw WL DH. UV

Jan. 28, 1941. L.. MACK ETAL un DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Lllllll|lllL|| lPatented Jan. 28, 194i PATENT OFFICE 2,230,203 A1B DISTRIBUTING APPARATUS Ludwig Mack ma Melville e. Kershaw, Philadelphia, Pa., asslgnors to The Cooling & Air Conditioninl Corporatiom- Hyde Park, Boston,

Mass., a corporation of New York Application May 5, 1939, Serial No. 271,9.16

3 Claims.

' ducts and distributing duct systems for the supply and distribution of gases such as air.

spaced outlets have been proposed for the distribution of conditioned air. It has been customary however, for the outlets to communicate directly with the space to be served so that the air is discharged at relatively high velocity directly into the space. This high velocity'jet discharge vprovides an ejector effect in which the discharged air induces the iiow of air in the space served.

This is undesirable, especially in industrial 4ven-J tilating and air conditioning systems for too great air movements are created in the vicinity of processing machines and apparatus, for example, and when the air is cooled, drafts are created.

According to a feature of this invention, the air or other gas is discharged and distributed in such a manner that it does not induce air currents in the area served. According to another feature of this invention, the fluid to be supplied is discharged equally and evenly and at relative low velocity from a longitudinal duct assembly.

According to another feature of the invention,

" means is provided for blocking off by groups, the

air flow from selected portions of the duct assembly.

These and other features are provided inone embodiment of the invention in a longitudinal duct assembly having an inner wall which contains a plurality of longitudinally spaced rela` the orifices at a relatively high velocity. The

orifices are however, separated into groups by transverse walls which extend to the discharge l edge or edges of the duct assembly, to provide a plurality of chambers of substantial size into which the air from the orifices enters and expands. The proportions of these chambers are so chosen that the air or other gas discharged from the orifices has so expanded and consequentially has its velocity so reduced, that it ows from the duct assembly into the space to be served, at a relatively low velocity.

An object of the invention is to properly distribute air or other gases without the production of undesirable air ow within the space served.

Overhead ducts having a plurality of smallv Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description and with reference to the drawings.

The invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation with portions in dotted outline, of one embodiment of an air distributing duct assembly according to this invention;

Fig. 2 is a. greatly enlarged view of a portion of 10 the duct assembly of Fig. 1;

FiFigz. 3 -isa sectional view along the lines 3-3 of= g Z Fig. 4 is a projected view o'f one of the"closure members of Figs. 2.and 3;

.'Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the lines 5 5A of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another embodiment of a duct assembly according to this invention, `similar to Fig. 3' except that the orices are above instead of below the main body of the duct assembly.

With reference to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the longitudinal duct assembly indicated generally by l0 may be suspended from the ceiling of a room by the I beams Il and may be supplied with conditioned air from a central source through the duct I2 past the stationary vane i3 and the louvre dampers I4..

The duct assembly lil is divided into two portions, the supply portion l5 and the distributing portion i6 which includesthe distributing ducts 20. Air from the duct l2 discharges into the supply duct I5 and passes along the'length of the duct through the opening il into the distributing 35 portion i6. The distributing portion i6 is divided into a plurality of sections by the Z-bar walls i8, shown most clearly by Figs. 2 and 5. The lower f wall i9 is connected to the Z-bars i8 and Vforms thek lowermost' wall of the duct, providing air guiding channels or distributing ducts 2@ between it and the lower Wall 2i of the supply portion i5 of the duct l0. The opening il providesl an air passage which is perpendicular to the axis of the supply duct l 5 and to the axes of the distributing ducts 2li.

The squeeze damper lll is provided for decreasing the volume of air supplied to theouter vportion of the duct, or for shutting off the outer portion of the duct assembly, when this is desirable.

Arranged on each side of the `opening lll and between the Z-bars l@ are the perforated orince plates 23. The portions of the plates between the Z-bars contain four slots or orices 25 al' though more or less slots could be provided. 55

and upper walls 20 form a plurality of expansion chambers ofA such area that the air discharged at relatively high velocity into them from the slots or orifices 24 is so expanded and its velocity so reduced before it reaches the discharge edges of the duct assembly, that the air discharged has such a relatively low velocity that it does not function in ejector action to induce any material air currents.

The orifice plates 23 are seen to form parti-y tions which extend perpendicular to the lower longitudinal wall of the supply duct I5. The lower Wall 2| Iof the supply duct is seen also to form the common upper wall of the distributing ducts 20.

The air distributing system according to this invention may be used for example, for supplying conditioned air to manufacturing or processing rooms or industrial plants, which rooms may be of relatively large area having portions which need not be directly supplied with conditioned air. Accordingly, theV closure members 25 are designed to` t in between and cooperate with adjacent Z-bars I8 to close-offene or more of the individual duct sections formed by adjacentAZ-bars. The member 25 has the upper portion 26 which ts against the wall 2l of the duct Iassembly I0; the lower portion 2l which fits over, around and under the lower Wall I9 ofthe duct, and the continuous wall portion 28 which closes oi the space between the adjacent Z-bars I8 and the walls I9 and 2|, when placed as shown by Fig. 2 between adjacent Z-bars. The upper portion 26 of the member 25 is cut away to form the opening 29 to receive the upper cross bar of a Z-bar andthe upper portion 21 of the member 25 is .cut away to receive the lower cross The arrangement shown by Fig. 6 is like that of l Fig. 3 except that the supply portion I5 of the duct assembly is lowermost and the distributing portion I6 is uppermost.' This may be desirable for rooms having relatively low ceilings.

While the duct assembly has been described as extending horizontally, it could extend vertically for certain types of installations. It is not necessary that the orifices be in -the form of Vertical slots as they may be horizontal slots. 'I'he oricesneed not be in the form of slots as apertures having other shapes may be used.

While the duct assembly has been described as discharging from two sides, it could of course be arranged to discharge from only one side.

While embodiments of the invention have been described for the purpose of illustration, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact arrangement and apparatus disclosed, as many departures may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.`

What is claimed is:

1. A duct assembly comprising a longitudinal supply duct, a plurality of distributing ducts having axes extending crosswise said duct and adapted to discharge air from their ends in directions substantially parallel to their axes, a partition extending substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal wall of said supply duct and extending crosswiser said distributing ducts, means forming a plurality of orifices in said partition, and means forming an air passage extending substantially perpendicular to the axis `of said supply duct and to the axes of said distributing ducts, connecting said supply duct and said orifices..

2. A duct assembly comprising a longitudinal supply duct, a plurality of distributing ducts having axes extending crosswise said duct and adapted' to discharge air from their ends in directions substantially parallel to their axes, a partition extending substantially perpendicular to a longitudinalwall of said supply duct and extending crosswise said distributing ducts, means forming a plurality of orices in said partition, and means forming an air passage extending substantially perpendicular to the axis of said supply duct and to the axes of said distributing ducts, connecting said supply duct and ,said ori- I iices, said longitudinal wall forming a wall common to all of said distributing ducts.

3. A duct assembly comprising a longitudinal supply duct, a plurality of distributing ducts having common interconnecting'walls, having axes extending crosswise saidl duct and adapted to discharge air from their ends in directions substantially parallel to their axes, a partition extending substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal wall of said supply duct and extending crosswise said distributing ducts, means forming a plurality of orifices in saidpartition, and means forming an air passage extending substantially .perpendicular to the axis of said supply.

duct and to the axes of said distributing ducts, connecting said supply duct and said orifices, said longitudinal wall forming a Wall common to all of said distributing ducts.

LUDWIG MACK. `MELVILLE G. KERSHAW. 

